


Indignation

by Zappy



Series: Mila Verse [7]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 04:41:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11223534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zappy/pseuds/Zappy
Summary: Kira meets the newest resident of DS9. Words are spoken, and in her usual decibel.





	Indignation

**Author's Note:**

> Because after watching "Cardassians" in season 2 I couldn't help but think, what if Julian adopted a little girl? This is about a month after she arrives on the station, because Kira is pretty much the last to know.

Normally Kira didn’t much concern herself with station gossip. She’ll listen and laugh along when Jadzia is imparting something particularly juicy, but she won’t go out of her way to find it. She especially doesn’t care to find out the ins and outs of Doctor Bashir’s life, she has enough of him when their work coincides, thank you very much. When Jadzia had told her that Bashir suddenly had a daughter, honestly what came to mind was that a previous fling of his had arrived on the station with a paternity test. She found that much more realistic to what she knew of the man than what Jadzia then explained. That he’d adopted an orphan from Bajor. **  
**

The Major reasoned that Bashir had seemed rather involved with that orphan case a few weeks earlier, but reserved any (vocal) judgement about his capability as a father. She had half a mind to recommend a good Bajoran tutor for the child since she figured Keiko wasn’t going to focus on that aspect of education. Kira’s conversation with Jadzia moved on from the topic after the Trill gushed about how adorable the little girl was and that she was honestly thinking about accepting Bashir's offer of being the girl's Godmother, and Kira forgot all about it.

That is, until she saw the doctor with a little girl who was barely as tall as the man’s legs just outside of Garak’s Clothiers. He’d adopted an orphan from Bajor all right. A _Cardassian_ orphan, left behind when the heartless species had finally been driven out. Before she could get a hold of her anger or even realize she was doing it, she’d crossed the Promenade over to where Bashir was speak with the shop’s proprietor and only other Cardassian on the station.

Kira had opened her mouth, a half formed demand of explanation as to why the doctor had adopted a Cardassian when the little girl sensed her approach and turned to face her. Seeing the Bajoran nose ridges on the face of such a little girl brought her up short. She wasn’t a Cardassian orphan, oh no. This was worse. This girl was the byproduct of the _occupation itself_ , plain as day.

“What the hell is going on here?” Were the first words to make it out of her lips, much louder than she’d intended them to be. Doctor Bashir and the Cardassian tailor turned to her with surprise on their faces. Bashir recovered speech first, though Garak had already slipped into his slimy smile.

“Major! Good afternoon, I was just dropping Mila off for her lessons with Garak. Can I help you with something?”

“Lessons?! You’re entrusting _Garak_ with the care of a _child_?! I knew you were naive but I didn’t think you were stupid!” Kira was too incensed to notice the little girl flinch back at her harsh tone, but she didn’t miss Garak pulling the girl closer or Bashir’s pleasant expression shift to defensive irritation.

“Yes, _lessons_. How else is she going to learn her heritage if not from the only other Cardassian I have access to?”

“Her **heritage**?!” That shout got them quite a few looks from passersby, but Kira was beyond caring. “You mean the fact she’s product of Cardassia’s occupation of Bajor? The people that slaughtered her mother’s and then left her to rot when they were forced to leave? _That_ blood thirsty, cold hearted, ruthless good-for-nothing heritage?”

“Major!” Doctor Bashir’s voice was cold and his expression thunderous. “Do not blame the tragedies that happened on a little girl- she’s _six_ for godsake! She is half-Cardassian and deserves to know that part of her, I will not limit what she can know just because of some _pointless prejudices_!”

“ _Pointless_?! Half a _century_ of subjugation and demoralization and you call it _pointless_?!”

It was the polite cough from Garak that caused them both to stop before Bashir could form his rebuke.

He seemed to be glaring at both of them as he nodded down to the child clinging to his pant leg. “As entertaining as watching you both argue until you’re red in the face is, can I suggest you stop before you scare Mila further?”

Kira scowled at him and snapped, “Oh because _you’re_ so friendly.”

Garak gave her that infuriating innocent look but didn’t smile, “I’m not the one whose shouting is causing her to cry.”

Doctor Bashir immediately looked chagrined, and bent down to Mila’s level with soothing hush. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. Why don’t you go with Garak and start your lessons okay? I’ll see you at dinner.” Mila nodded but didn’t say anything or look either of them in the eye.

The moment Garak ushered Mila inside his shop and the door closed, Bashir was on his feet again looking furious. He towered over her and practically growled out, “Look, Major. I respect you have your issues with Cardassians. They’re understandable, but the _second_ that effects my daughter they cease to be so.”

“Your _daughter_ ,” Kira hissed back, “was likely the product of a Cardassian man _using_ a Bajoran woman. Is that really the half you wanna be nurturing?”

Bashir drew in a deep breath through his nose and it seemed to add another few inches to his height. Kira didn’t back down, she was used to dealing with opponents taller than her. “Her Bajoran mother left her at the doorstep of an orphanage as a one month old baby, _named the Bajoran word for Suffering_. She remained so for _six years_ , Kira. I think Bajor gave up its rights to her when it treated her like that.”

“But Cardassia abandoning her and even their _full-blooded_ children doesn’t?”

Throwing his hands in the air, Bashir raised his voice again and his tone was irritable and challenging, “ _Fine_! If you’re so bloody concerned with her unequal education, why don’t _you_ help out?! It’s not like I have any knowledge of Bajoran culture!”

“Maybe I will! She’d certainly learn more from me than that tailor!”

“Be my guest! Just tell me when you’re free to do so!” Julian rolled his eyes, turning on his heel and started to walk off towards the infirmary.

“Fine!” Kira shouted at his back.

She had stomped half way to Quark’s before she realized what she’d just done. Then she picked up her pace with a groan, she need a drink and a strong one. Maybe Jadzia could help her with this mess she’d just gotten herself into.


End file.
